ix THE PROTAMINS 421 



Clupein has this percentage-composition : 



C 47-28, H 8-14, N 2572, 18-9. 

 From these figures Goto calculates the formulae : 



C 30 H 57 N i76 Salmin. 



C 3 o H 62 N iA Clupein. 



C 32 H 72 N 16 8 . / . .. , Scombrin. 



C 34 H 71 N 17 9 ./ . '. , Sturin. 



These formulae serve, of course, only for a preliminary orientation ; 

 the older analyses of Miescher, Piccard, and Kossel differ more or less. 

 It would appear that several similar but not identical substances occur 

 together in the spermatozoa of one and the same species of fish. 



The dissociation-products are given on pp. 74-75, Nos. 40-46. The 

 prevalence of bases has already been pointed out, but in other respects 

 the individual protamins differ greatly from one another. Salmin, 

 sturin, and clupein have been more completely analysed than any of 

 the other albumins. 



The analysis of salmin by Kossel and Dakin l has yielded the 

 following figures : 



Grammes. Percentage. 



Total nitrogen . , . 5*369 100 



Arginin nitrogen . . .4787 8 9 '2 



Alcohol insoluble fraction . . 0'265 4 '9 



Of this serin . . . 3'25 



Of this amino-valerianic acid . 1'65 



Alcohol soluble fraction . . 0'230 4'3 



Demonstrable loss . . 0'087 1'6 



The ratios of the weights of the dissociation-products are : 



Grammes. Percentage. 



Amount of salmin decomposed . 17 '03 100 



Arginin . . . 14'87 87'4 



Serin . . . - . 1'33 7-8 



Amino-valerianic acid . . 0'74 4 '3 



Pyrrolidin-carboxylic acid . T88 11 '0 



Salmin may be composed of 1 molecules of arginin, 2 molecules of 

 serin, 1 molecule of amino-valerianic acid, and 2 molecules of pyrrolidin 

 carboxylic acid, which would give the formula C 81 H 155 N 45 18 , or 

 12 mol. arginin, 2 mol. serin, 1 mol. amino-valerianic acid, and 3 mol. 

 pyrrolidin-carboxylic acid, which would yield C 98 H 186 N 54 21 . Which 

 of these two formulae is the correct one has not yet been settled. 



1 A. Kossel and H. D. Dakin, Zeitschr.f. physiol. Chem. 41. 407 (1904). 



